This invention relates to a whistle construction which is particularly adapted for association with a tea kettle. Whistles for tea kettles are very popular for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Thus, the whistle serves to alert the user that a correct temperature has been achieved for the making of tea. In addition there is a certain nostalgic enjoyment obtained when this familiar sound is recognized provided that the sound is not unpleasant.
For the foregoing reasons, a fair amount of design effort has been expended to make marketable tea kettle whistles. It has been recognized, however, that the best designs tend to be relatively complicated and therefore expensive to produce and assemble. Furthermore, prior designs employing a combination of plastic and metal parts have been assembled using screws. This type of design is unsatisfactory because, in addition to the relative difficulty of assembly, the screws tend to work loose as a result of the heat encountered in combination with the different coefficients of thermal expansion.
There is, therefore, a need for an inexpensive, uncomplicated tea kettle whistle design which is economical to produce, easy to assemble, has a reasonable useful life, and is still capable of providing the utilitarian and aesthetic features desired in such a construction.
The tea kettle whistle design of the invention includes only three main parts comprising the whistle top and whistle base, both preferably formed of plastic, and the whistle insert, preferably formed of stainless steel. The insert is designed to be assembled with the top by means of a simple operation with no additional part being required to complete this assembly. The two plastic parts are assembled using a pin that also serves to hinge the parts together. This also requires only a very simple assembly step and the nature of the parts is such that a secure assembly is achieved even under the operating conditions of a tea kettle.
When the parts have been assembled, they are easily associated with the tea kettle pouring spout in a secure fashion. Preferably, the whistle base is provided with plastic O-rings which enable the assembly to be press fit within the spout in a fluid tight manner. Alternatively, a suitable adhesive compound may be employed to insure this relationship.